


to be young and in love

by aestheticzjm



Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bipolar Disorder, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, Sort Of, Underage Drug Use, a few canon references bc i couldn't resist, childhood AU, lots of feelings, snippets of isak and even's life as they grow up, true love :-)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-23 20:58:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16626335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aestheticzjm/pseuds/aestheticzjm
Summary: Even seemed to read his mind, a soft smile gracing his lips as he moved a little closer to him from where they were lying down on his bad. "Relax. It's not that different from kissing a girl, I swear." Isak didn't have enough time to wonder about how exactly the older boy knew that before he was leaning forward, brushing their lips together in a soft kiss.Isak wasn't sure whether it was the weed, or just the sensation of being kissed for the first time, that made him feel as if his entire world had been flipped upside down. His heart was working overtime in his chest, and the feeling of Even's lips against his felt better than any joint that he could possibly have.— or a look into the lives of isak and even, from ages 13 to 17 & 15 to 19.





	to be young and in love

**i. 13 & 15 **

The very first time that Isak saw him, he was at a skate park with Jonas and all of their friends. Isak had never really been one for skating and had resigned himself off to the side instead, where there was a huge field scattered with rows upon rows of neatly-planted flowers. They had been learning about photosynthesis and the likes in biology as of late, and as he surveyed the fields, he inwardly cringed at the thought of his biology teacher and her monotonous droning about the structure of a flower.  

As he absentmindedly fiddled with a yellow dandelion, he was drawn out of his thoughts by a soft rustling sound from behind him. Isak turned, gaze lifting to meet the bright blue eyes of another boy, probably around his age or a little older.

"Pretty," The guy commented, deep voice vaguely registering in the back of the younger's mind. A half-smile curved Isak's lips and he averted his gaze down to the small flower that he was holding. "The dandelions, right? They are," He agreed, deciding to ignore the fact that it was a little weird that some random boy had decided to approach him and tell him that the flower he was holding was pretty.

It was a given that he didn’t socialize with other boys his age that much outside of the small friends circle that he had, but he was pretty sure that this wasn't the typical way to do it. Either way though, the guy seemed friendly and his smile was kind as he extended a hand for Isak to shake.

"I'm Even. My family and I just moved from Tromsø, so I was checking out the area," He explained, shoving his hands into his pockets as he tilted his head in a form of gesture towards the skate park.

"Oh, do you live around here?" Isak questioned. Even shook his head, making yet another vague gesture down the street. "I just walked, actually. Mom told me to go explore and there's nothing really interesting where I live so I found myself here."

Isak hummed a short response, the corner of his lips raising in a slight smile before he averted his gaze back down, absently scuffing the ground with his foot. "Where do you go to school? I'm starting at Elvebakken next year," The other boy said after a brief moment of silence, making Isak shift his gaze back up to meet his.

"I still have three years before secondary school," Isak replied, the hint of a chuckle in his tone as he realized that he had been correct earlier about the age difference. "I'll most likely be going to Nissen though. I've heard Bakka is full of Oslo's hipsters," And surely enough, Isak tipped his head towards the graphic-tee the other boy was wearing. "You'll fit right in."

Even let out a soft laugh, the pleasant noise ringing in Isak's ears long after he had stopped. "I plan on studying film after college so you've got me there," He said playfully, leaning forward a little so that he could nudge the younger boy. Isak didn't have much time to dwell on the casual touch before the sound of a phone vibrating brought him out of his thoughts.

Even gave Isak an apologetic look before he fumbled around in his pocket, pulling out a phone. The blonde watched as he greeted _Hi, Mom_ and proceeded to have a conversation that sounded as if he was telling her he'd be home soon since the sun was setting. Isak stood there silently, feeling a bit awkward as he watched the older boy speak on the phone. He chanced a glance over his shoulder to where Jonas and the boys were still skating, and he absently wondered whether anyone would have noticed Even's presence by now.

Isak shifted his gaze back as the older boy ended the call, watching as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. "Looks like I'll have to go. Guess I won't be seeing you around too much, huh?" Isak couldn't help but note the slight hint of disappointment that tinged the older's words and he tried not to think about it too much, lifting his shoulders in a light shrug.

Even gave him yet another smile before turning and starting what was probably a long journey back home. Isak watched him go, eyebrows drawing down with slight confusion after the other boy paused and then turned back around. "You never told me your name," He called out, having to raise his voice because of the distance between them.

"Isak," He shouted back, nodding to himself to accompany the response. Even repeated the younger's name to himself and lifted his hand up in farewell before turning back around. It would be a lie if Isak said that he wasn't a little sad to see him go.

**ii. 14 & 16 **

Although Isak didn’t think they would manage to stay in touch, they did. The next weekend that him and Jonas were at the skate park, Isak actually caught sight of Even, off to the side on a bench near the field he was at the first time they had met. They had gotten to talking again, and on the third weekend, they finally exchanged numbers — Even didn't have any social media, which Isak couldn't say that he minded all too much, because his Instagram was pretty embarrassing.

Their friendship only grew from that point, and a year had passed since their first meeting — Even had recently started Upper Secondary School at Bakka, and Isak had grown accustomed to hearing about all of the interesting things that happened once you started high school. Their friendship could probably be seen as a little odd, considering the age difference, but Isak liked to think of himself as mature for his age and Even and him got along well.

He was currently at the older boy's house, the two of them splayed out across the older's bed and doing what any two normal teenage boys would be doing — playing video games. Even paused the video game after a couple of moments, causing Isak to let out a whine of protest. "You can't just restart every time I'm about to beat you!" Even stayed silent however, simply turning to Isak with an amused expression and a waggle of his eyebrows.

"I've got something special for us." He said simply, and Isak frowned, slightly suspicious about the look that Even was giving him. "Don’t look at me like that, it's weird. What is it?"

Even let out a laugh at the younger's words, before he got up off his bed and opened up his bedside drawer. He then pulled out what looked like a cigarette, but Isak had the slightest inkling of a feeling that it may not have been one. "Is that… marijuana?" He questioned after a moment, surprise bleeding into his words.

"Don't say it like that, Jesus," Even replied, shaking his head with a chuckle. "My friend got it for me because he's got an older brother — we did it once at his house and it's pretty awesome." It was during times like this that Isak felt blessed to have an older friend, because it was basically his only opportunity to try things that his own friends hadn't ever done before.

Even walked over to his bedroom door and locked it, before turning back to Isak. "I've gotta open a window up or it's going to be pretty obvious what we're doing," He explained as he cracked open the window, finally settling back down on the bed once he had carried out all of the precautions.

It took him a couple of moments to light the joint up, and then he turned to Isak with a serious look in his eyes. "I'm going to show you how to and you just do what I say, alright?" Isak nodded in response, a little too eager to see what all the hype was about.

Even simply chuckled a little, before he closed his lips around the joint and took a deep breath in. He kept the smoke in his mouth for a couple of seconds before he finally exhaled, blowing the smoke out slowly. He then passed the joint to Isak, who chewed on his lower lip as he surveyed it — he didn't want to embarrass himself by doing something stupid in front of Even, but it seemed simple enough.

"Fuck it," He murmured under his breath, before bringing the joint to his mouth. The blonde breathed in, making sure to inhale deeply as the older boy had shown him. Isak's eyelids fluttered shut as the smoke invaded his lungs, and he held it only for a second before he was breathing it out once again. He hadn't quite known what to expect, but it definitely hadn't been this — the weightless feeling that accompanied his first breath in.

"I see someone likes it," Even commented after a moment of silence and Isak opened his eyes again, almost having forgotten that the other boy was even there. He took another drag from the joint, which only made him feel even more loose-limbed and as if waves of pure pleasure were radiating outwards from his body.

"Hey, you've gotta pace yourself," Even murmured, reaching forward so that he could take the joint from Isak. "Fuck, I didn't know it'd be like that." A grin graced the older's lips and he nodded, before taking in a breath himself. Isak leant forward again so that he could steal the joint from between Even's fingers, laughing softly at the look that he gave him.  

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Even warned, once again taking the joint from Isak. Isak felt rather chastised by the other's tone, pouting and giving him the puppy eyes that he knew Even could never resist. The golden haired boy only gave Isak a disapproving look however, shaking his head. "I can't send you home if you're stoned off your ass."

Isak watched, with a touch of dejection, as Even took another inhale in. It only took a moment for the older boy to give up his act, because he never really could say no to Isak, but he made sure to pace the younger boy this time around. They finished off the joint with a couple more passes back and forth, but Even kept the joint to himself for most of it.

After they finished smoking and Even had discarded the joint, Isak stretched himself out over Even's bed and the older boy lay next to him, the room thick with smoke despite the window that they had cracked open earlier.

"Fuck, I'm such a bad influence on you," Even said, heaving out a laugh as he tilted his head a little to meet the younger's gaze. Isak simply grinned back at him, feeling as if the regular filter that he had on his mouth had melted away with each drag that he had taken from the joint. "I would've done it anyways, better that it was with you than someone else."

Even seemed to agree with that sentiment, humming a short response. "You know, Jonas hooked up with a girl last weekend," Isak felt his mouth moving before his brain really seemed to catch up with it, absently placing a hand on his abdomen as he stared up at the ceiling. He could see Even turn to look at him from his peripheral, but he kept his gaze fixed on the ceiling.

"Yeah? What did he say about it?" The older boy asked, making Isak smile a bit as he remembered the dreamy look on Jonas' face when he described the encounter to Isak. "Apparently they made out and she let him touch her boobs. He said it was a life-changing experience."

"Have you ever hooked up with anyone, Isak? Actually, have you even kissed anyone before?" Isak made a face at the tone of the older's voice, a little offended with what he was insinuating — even if he may have been correct.

" _What_? I'm the master of kissing!" Isak exclaimed, causing Even to let out a loud laugh of disbelief. "Show me, then." Even finally said after he had finished laughing, tone suddenly serious. Isak turned slightly on the bed so that he was facing him, his eyebrows knitted down into a slight frown. "What?"

"You did say that you were the master of kissing — I just wanted to see it in action." Even responded simply, sounding so matter-of-fact that Isak wasn't really sure how to reply. Luckily, the weed seemed to make up his mind for him as his next words left his mouth softly; "I've never actually kissed anyone before."

Even didn't really react, probably already having guessed that. "That's okay." He paused, chewing on his lower lip, as if he was contemplating something in his head. "We could practice, you know. If you wanted." The words left Even's mouth in a rush and Isak could practically feel his cheeks flush red at the intent behind them, his eyebrows raised. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm sure there are plenty of girls that've shown some interest in you by now. You might as well practice with someone else first, so you don't fuck up on your first time with them." Even was certainly right about that. A lot of girls seemed to like him, but Isak never really knew how to approach them or what to do — he didn't possess even half of the coolness that Jonas had, either way.  

"And anyways, I've got enough experience to tell you if you're doing something wrong." Isak could see why. Even seemed just like the type of guy that Eva spent her time gushing about, and Isak was sure that Even practically had a line of girls that wanted to kiss him. He knew that he had done it before too, because Even had told him, in great detail, about the story of his first kiss.

"Okay." Isak finally said after a moment of deliberation, deciding to ignore the few thoughts that pressed his mind about how odd it was for them to be doing this, considering that they were two boys. Even seemed to read his mind, a soft smile gracing his lips as he moved a little closer to him from where they were lying down on his bad. "Relax. It's not that different from kissing a girl, I swear." Isak didn't have enough time to wonder about how exactly the older boy knew that before he was leaning forward, brushing their lips together in a soft kiss.

He wasn't sure whether it was the weed, or just the sensation of being kissed for the first time, that made him feel as if his entire world had been flipped upside down. His heart was working overtime in his chest, and the feeling of Even's lips against his felt better than any joint that he could possibly have. The kiss only lasted a couple of seconds — although it felt like hours to Isak — before Even was pulling away, his cheeks flushed red.

It was probably the first time that Isak had ever seen Even blushing so hard, and he felt his stomach flip at the sight, unsure of why his heart felt as if it was about to beat right out of his chest. "You're not bad at that." Even murmured, the corner of his lips rising in the slightest smile.

"Can we do it again?" Isak asked lowly, his voice rough from the weed. Even nodded, and then he was leaning forward again, their lips meeting with a little more force this time. Even teased the younger boy's lips open with his tongue and Isak let him in, not even having to consciously think about what to do because Even was guiding him the entire time.

Even brought his fingers up so that he could caress Isak's cheekbone as they kissed, a touch that felt all too intimate considering the nature of their friendship. Isak let out a soft whimper into the kiss, which only made Even tighten his grip, the feeling of his tongue against the younger's making heat pool low in his belly.

"Even!" The two broke apart immediately at the sound of Even's mom's voice from downstairs, staring at each other with wide eyes. "Dinner's ready!"

"Oh, fuck." Even swore, quickly getting up off the bed and making his way over so that he could wrap his fingers around Isak's wrist and haul him off the bed as well. Isak let out a sound of indignance at being manhandled, frowning as the older boy put his hands on his shoulders and bent down a little so that he could get a good look at his face.

"We're fucked, your eyes are so godamned red. We're telling her that you fell sick and can't stay for dinner, okay?" Isak nodded, suddenly finding the whole situation hilarious. He knew that Even would be pissed if he started laughing, but the older boy must have noticed the look on his face, because he started laughing before Isak got the chance to.

"Just hold it together until you're out of the house, alright?" He said after he collected himself, absently wiping tears of laughter away from his eyes. It didn't take long for the two of them to dissolve into giggles again as they made their way down the stairs, trying their best to shut each other up. And as he walked out of the older's house that night, he couldn't help but think about how badly he wanted to feel Even's lips against his again.

**iii. 15 & 17 **

They never talked about it after that. Isak had no idea how he was supposed to go about bringing it up, and so he didn't. Although he _did_ feel as if something had shifted about their dynamic; the older's absent touches, his lingering gazes, the way that he behaved differently around Isak. Perhaps it was all in his imagination, but Isak knew that he couldn't have possibly conjured up all of the times that he had caught Even's gaze trained on his mouth instead of his eyes.

In the end, it didn't matter. He had gone to Even's house one day, only to be greeted by the sight of him and a girl. _Sonja_ , Even introduced, his gaze filled with adoration as he looked down at her, a look that Isak had only ever seen directed to him before.

Isak could see why the older boy was so enamored with her; she was stunning, and had so much in common with Even that Isak felt as if it was like their beings just resonated with each other on a different level. They went to the same school and were in the same year, meaning that they spent a large portion of their time together as well.

Just as he had expected it to, Even and Sonja lasted a long time. Far longer than anyone else that Even had shown interest in before, and every time that Isak saw them together, he _knew_ that neither of them would lose interest in the other anytime soon. He overcompensated by finding girls to hook up with, and as a result, spent less and less time with the older boy.

Things went to shit after that. It all started with a frantic phone call from Sonja, with her repeatedly asking whether Even was at Isak's house, whether he had seen Even that day, if he knew _anything_ about where the older boy was. Isak didn't, and he felt even worse after she told him not to worry about it and hung up. It turned out that Even had apparently walked out on Sonja in nothing but his socks.

He had seen signs of it before, but he had always attributed it to Even's explosive personality — not a mental illness. _Bipolar_ , he thought in his head, feeling his whole body recoil at the thought that Even was just as crazy as his mom. He found out that the incident with Sonja had been a _manic episode_ , and regardless of how many articles he read about the illness, he simply couldn't wrap his head around it.

It took a while for him to become comfortable with the idea, and it was only after Even took the time to explain things to him. _I'm sorry_ , Isak had apologized, after the two hadn't spoken for a few weeks after the news. _You don’t have to apologize for anything, ever_. Even had replied, so earnestly that it made Isak feel like shit for refusing to speak to him.  

That year wasn’t the best for their relationship. It was okay, because they would eventually figure things out. They always did.

**iv. 16 & 18 - part i. **

First year brought a whole myriad of new things into Isak's life. New friends, new classes, new teachers. Eva and Jonas had started going out, and Isak had broken up with his girlfriend from before high school. Him and Even still hung out, but they hadn't seen each other much over the summer because the older had gone to Paris with his family.

He was currently sitting atop Even's couch in his living room, loud music blaring throughout the older's house. Even had invited him to a party he was throwing, and Magnus and Jonas were allowed to tag along. He knew that it wasn't that weird for him to be at a third year party, considering that Eva and her friends had gotten invited to quite a few Russ parties by now, a couple of weeks into the school year, but he still felt odd being one of the youngest at Even's.

Even's friends were rather intimidating, and since Jonas had fucked off to do his own thing — probably smoking up with someone — and he had no idea where Magnus was, he was left mostly to his own devices. A guy had approached him earlier into the night, tall with brown wavy hair, leaning into Isak's space and asking if he wanted a beer. It felt _different_ , getting hit on by a complete stranger from Bakka, who was a guy and not a girl. Although he hadn’t come out to anyone yet, besides Jonas, he didn’t really want to talk to a complete stranger and had refused.

Now that he thought about it, it probably would have been good for him to just let go and hook up with the guy from earlier. His thoughts were almost always consumed with Even, despite the two having grown apart, and it may have been good for him to try to forget. 

"Isak!" He flinched as Even plopped down on the sofa beside him, voice loud and smile wide. Isak took in the older's appearance, his eyes shiny and cheeks flushed, two clear indications that he had been drinking. Unfairly beautiful, considering that most people looked like shit when they were drunk and Even looked as if he had stepped straight out of a catalogue.

"What are you doing all by yourself?" Even questioned, words slurred slightly as he placed a hand atop the younger's knee. Isak took his lower lip in between his teeth at the touch, eyes focused on where Even was absently holding onto him. "Magnus and Jonas fucked off somewhere, so…" He replied, a slight smile gracing his lips as he looked up and met the older's eyes. He regretted it a second later, because the look that Even was giving him was almost too much for him to handle.

"Are you having a good time, though?" He asked, and Isak nodded, although he really wasn't. He could lie for the older's sake — he had done it before. "Isak, do you wanna know something?" Even questioned, almost secretively, and Isak's eyebrows knitted down into a slight frown, tilting his head. "Sure, what?" He replied, doing his best to play along with the older's drunken antics.

"You're the man of my dreams." Isak's eyebrows raised even further, if it was possible, a surprised chuckle leaving his lips. "What— what do you mean by that?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I mean. I honestly think that we're destined to be with each other." Even said, in a serious tone that only someone that was _very_ drunk could muster. Isak just let out another chuckle, shaking his head a little. He was trying to play it off cool, but his heart was working overtime in his chest.

"You've got Sonja, though," Isak pointed out, which caused the older's face to fall, almost immediately. "We're not together anymore." They had been rather on-and-off for the past couple of weeks, so Isak couldn’t say that he was surprised, but he also didn't think it was his place to ask why.

"I know that you like me too, Isak. I see it in the way that you look at me. Even though we don't really see each other that much anymore. I miss when we used to spend so much time together but you're always full of excuses now." The words were unflinchingly honest, and Isak felt the butterflies in his stomach do a backflip. He stayed silent, unsure of how to respond in a way that wouldn't entail him confessing his feelings. Not when Even was so drunk and probably had no idea what he was saying.

"I want to kiss you." The older boy murmured, so soft that Isak wasn't sure whether he had imagined it or not. Isak stared back at him, eyes wide, as the older's eyes flickered down to his lips.

Isak was about to reply — was about to tell the other boy exactly how he felt about that — and the words were practically on the tip of his tongue when there was a familiar voice by their side, exclaiming _Even_ in a tone that seemed rather annoyed. Isak looked up to meet Sonja's gaze, worry eminent on her features.

"Has he been drinking?" She questioned, shifting past Isak so that she could get a proper look at the other boy. Isak lifted his shoulders into a shrug. "I wasn't with him before, I'm not sure," He said softly, chewing on his lower lip.

"You know he's not meant to be drinking, Isak." Sonja said, her words laced with annoyance, and Isak instantly felt guilty for not having realized earlier that Even wasn't supposed to drink too much anymore. "It really fucks with his meds." She continued, shaking her head a little bit as she surveyed Even.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't know that he had been drinking," He apologized softly, eyebrows knitted together in a slight frown. Sonja averted her gaze to Isak and she shook her head once again, looking tired with the situation.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be saying anything to you anyway. You didn't know, you're just a kid."

 _I'm not just a kid_ , Isak almost wanted to scream at her, but he kept quiet, looking down at the ground. "Come on," Sonja said to Even, and the older boy got up, looking like a puppy that had just been scolded. Isak watched as he followed Sonja down the hall to where his room was, and a soft sigh left his lips as he fell back against the couch.

**v. 16 & 18 - part ii. **

Isak rubbed his eyes tiredly as he made his way downstairs to his front door, a yawn escaping his lips. It was bordering two in the morning and neither of his parents were home since they had gone to visit his grandparents, which meant that he had no idea who had just rang the doorbell thrice.

He had ignored the doorbell the first time around, but three times was far too much for him to ignore for any longer — he had already been having trouble with sleeping for the past couple of weeks, and this wasn't helping any. He made his way to the front door, peeking through the eyehole and frowning when he realized who it was. He opened the door up, met with the sight of Even, wrapped up in several layers, nose tinged red as if he had been standing there for quite a bit.

"Fuck, sorry," Isak apologized, guilt immediately flooding him for having not opened the door earlier. Even entered, closing the door behind him and meeting Isak's gaze with a rather sheepish smile. "No, I'm sorry. I know it's late but I just needed someone to talk to," He murmured, taking his lower lip in between his teeth. Isak nodded, absently thanking whoever was listening above for the fact that he didn't have school tomorrow. It was nearing the end of the school year, which meant his absence rate had been sky-high and he really couldn’t afford to miss any more school.

"Do you think…" Even started, averting his gaze to the ground before pausing and then meeting Isak's eyes once again. "Do you think that, maybe, we could go to your room?"

Going to Isak's room somehow ended up with the two of them in bed together, lights flicked off with both of them underneath the covers. Isak's eyes adjusted to the dark as he watched Even, who looked a lot younger than usual because of the way that his gaze was tilted downwards and the way that he was bundled underneath Isak's comforter.

"Sonja left me." He said, the words barely above a whisper. "Oh?" Isak replied, a little surprised with the admission. Him and Even hadn't really been in touch lately, although they still texted from time to time, but Isak was sure that him and Sonja had finally sorted out all of their shit and weren't going to break up any more.

"It felt final to me. I don’t think she can put up with my shit anymore," Even murmured, and Isak's eyebrows furrowed down into a frown at the older's depreciating tone. "I'm not really sure what to do now, honestly. Because she's always been there for me and sometimes I feel like she knows me better than I know myself? I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or not, but I think that I lost myself sometimes, when I was with her."

"You're the only one that can feel what you feel," Isak agreed softly, and even in the dark, the look that the older boy gave him made him feel as if his entire world had been thrown off-kilter. Like things had just fallen into place for the two of them. Even hummed a soft noise in response, slightly nuzzling his head against his pillow.

They both stayed silent for a couple of minutes after that, and Isak almost thought that the other boy had fallen asleep, before he began talking again. "I think I'm going to have to redo this year," Even admitted, and he sounded completely devastated, making Isak's heart clench in his chest.

"That's okay. You'll be more prepared this time around, and you know how to deal with your bipolar better now. It's not your fault."

Even let out a self-deprecating chuckle, shaking his head. "I really fucked things up this year. Everything in my life has gone to shit."

"Don't say that." Isak immediately replied, tone serious. He had been in that position before, when it felt as if everything around him was crumbling, but coupled with Even's depression, he knew it was a dangerous mindset for the older boy to have. The mere thought of him doing something to himself was far too much for Isak to imagine.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't say things like that around you." Even apologized, breathing out a soft sigh. "Go to bed, I've kept you awake for too long now. Good night, Isak."

"Good night, Even." He murmured, and he turned around so that he wasn't facing the older boy anymore, because he didn't think he would be able to sleep for a while now, not with Even right beside him.

In the morning, Isak woke up first, completely enveloped in Even's arms. He didn't say anything to the older boy about it later, not even when he tried to get up and Even's grip around him only tightened. It was almost poetic, the way they fit together like missing puzzle pieces, and Isak didn't think that he had ever felt so complete in his life.

**vi. 17 & 19**

Even avoided him for weeks and weeks after that night. Isak wasn't surprised, considering that their whole relationship seemed that way — every time Isak felt they were taking a step in the right direction, Even pulled away. He wasn't sure what was compelling the older boy to resist, but with Sonja out of the picture, he really had no idea what it was.

Summer was nearing it's end, which meant that Isak would be starting his second year shortly. He knew, from the few text messages that him and Even shared before he went completely off the grid, that he would indeed be redoing his third year in Bakka. Isak couldn't even imagine going through something like that, not when Even already had so much other shit to deal with.

Isak had dealt with some stuff over the summer as well, moved out of his house and into the Kollektivet that Noora had only recently moved out from to move in with William. It was mostly because of his parents, and he still hadn't quite patched things up with them, which he honestly couldn't say that he minded all that much.

It was a Friday night, and Linn and Eskild had gone partying — somehow Eskild was the only one that could get Linn to leave her bedroom for a night at the club — and Isak was alone, sprawled out across the couch as he flipped through the movies playing on T.V.

A knock at the door drew him out of thoughts and he paused the T.V. before getting up and making his way over. He opened it, eyes widening at the sight of Even standing there. He hadn’t seen the other boy in what was probably at least a month and a half, and to see him, only a few steps away, was rather jarring.

"Isak," He breathed out, and the younger boy opened the door up a bit wider to let Even in. He closed the door behind him and Even was standing there, right in the living room, hadn't moved an inch since he stepped in.

"I don't think I can stay away anymore." The few words were enough for Isak to understand exactly what Even meant, and a timid smile graced his lips, shrugging his shoulders a bit. "What took you so long, then?"

"This isn't going to work. I'm going to do something stupid and fuck things up between us, and I don't know how I would live with myself if I ruined our relationship."

"You don't know shit, Even." Isak replied lowly, the words harsher than he had intended them to be. Even chewed on his lower lip as he met Isak's gaze unsurely, shaking his head minutely.

"I've lived in fear for my whole life, Even. I don’t want to be afraid anymore." Isak hadn't realized that he was crying but he brought a hand up to wipe a stray tear away, taking a risk and speaking the truth. Even smiled, and his eyes were watery too as he took a step closer towards Isak.

"I think I'm in love with you." Even said earnestly, and he took yet another step closer, bringing his hand up to caress Isak's cheek. The younger's eyes fluttered shut at the feather-light touch, reveling in the feeling of finally being touched by the only person that he ever wanted to touch him, for the rest of eternity.

"I love you too, Even." He whispered, opening his eyes and _finally_ leaning forward so that he could connect their lips together into a soft kiss.

As it turned out, Even was right. He did fuck up, quite a few times, and so did Isak. But they found ways to make things work, because they chose each other. And only a couple of years later, when the two were stood opposite each other, in front of their wedding altar, and more in love than they had ever been, Isak knew that he had made the right choice.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope someone enjoyed this, although it was rather crappy!!! i apologize for the length of the snippets, because my writer's block is pretty evident throughout this, yikes.
> 
> p.s. in my headcanon, even was most definitely not referring to the flower that isak was holding during their first meeting and was actually talking about him when he said "pretty". :-)


End file.
